Amaryllidaceae,sceletium, imidazole,oxazole, thiazole,peptide and miscellaneous alkaloids

This review covers alkaloids classified in the plant families Amaryallidaceae and Sceletium. In addition alkaloids possessing imidazole, oxazole and thiazole structures are listed followed by alkaloids possessing peptide linkages. Finally miscellaneous alkaloids include those compounds found naturally which cannot be classified into known groups; a relative Pandora's box. A total of 620 structures has been reviewed from 218 references found in the literature for the period July 1999 to June 2000.     

Measurement of the dependence of interfacial charge-transfer rate constants on the reorganization energy of redox species at n-ZnO/H2O interfaces

The interfacial energetic and kinetics behavior of n-ZnO/H2O contacts have been determined for a series of compounds, cobalt trisbipyridine (Co(bpy)3(3+/2+)), ruthenium pentaamine pyridine (Ru(NH3)5 py(3+/2+)), cobalt bis-1,4,7-trithiacyclononane (Co(TTCN)2(3+/2+)), and osmium bis-dimethyl bipyridine bis-imidazole (Os(Me2bpy)2(Im)2(3+/2+)), which have similar formal reduction potentials yet which have reorganization energies that span approximately 1 eV. Differential capacitance vs potential and current density vs potential measurements were used to measure the interfacial electron-transfer rate constants for this series of one-electron outer-sphere redox couples. Each interface displayed a first-order dependence on the concentration of redox acceptor species and a first-order dependence on the concentration of electrons in the conduction band at the semiconductor surface, in accord with expectations for the ideal model of a semiconductor/liquid contact. Rate constants varied from 1 x 10(-19) to 6 x 10(-17) cm4 s(-1). The interfacial electron-transfer rate constant decreased as the reorganization energy, lambda, of the acceptor species increased, and a plot of the logarithm of the electron-transfer rate constant vs (lambda + deltaG(o)')(2)/4lambda k(B)T (where deltaG(o)' is the driving force for interfacial charge transfer) was linear with a slope of approximately -1. The rate constant at optimal exoergicity was found to be approximately 5 x 10(-17) cm4 s(-1) for this system. These results show that interfacial electron-transfer rate constants at semiconductor electrodes are in good agreement with the predictions of a Marcus-type model of interfacial electron-transfer reactions.     

Comparison of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, ELISA, and phosphatase assay for the determination of microcystins in blue-green algae products

More than 100 samples of blue-green algae products (consisting of Aphanizomenon, Spirulina, and unidentified blue-green algae) in the form of pills, capsules, and powders were collected from retail outlets from across Canada. The samples were extracted with 75% methanol in water and centrifuged to remove solids. Aliquots of the extracts along with spiked blank sample extracts were sent to each participating laboratory and independently analyzed for microcystins by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), protein phosphatase inhibition assay, and by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) after sample cleanup using C18 solid-phase extraction. The results obtained by ELISA and LC-MS/MS agreed very well over a concentration range of about 0.5-35 microg/g. The colorimetric phosphatase results generally agreed with the other 2 methods. While the 2 biochemical assays measured total microcystin content compared with a standard of microcystin LR, the LC-MS/MS method measured specific microcystins (LA, LR, RR, YR) using external standards of these for identification and quantitation. Microcystin LR was found in all positive samples by LC-MS/MS. Microcystin LA was the only other microcystin found in the samples analyzed. These 2 microcystins represent essentially all the microcystins that were present in the extracts. Otherwise, the LC-MS/MS results would have been significantly lower than the results of the biochemical assays had other unknown microcystins been present.     

Molecular orbital calculations on tumor-inhibitory nitrosoureas: QSARs

Molecular Orbital (MO) calculations by the MINDO/3 method on tumor-inhinbitory nitrosoureas is reported. Electronic structures for 18 chlorethyl nitrosoureas and 30 cyclohexyl nitrosoureas (CCNUS ) are related to biological activity in the form of toxicity, therapeutic activity, and increase in life span and chemical reactivity in the form of alkylating and carbamoylating activity. Hydrophobicity, as measured by the logarithm of the partition coefficient (octan-1-o1/water), shows a parallelism with calculated bulk molecular properties. Mechanisms of alkylation and other reactions related to biological action are proposed and discussed.     

Aquachlorobis[4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐2‐(2‐pyridyl)‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐oxyl 3‐oxide‐κ2O1,N2]nickel(II) nitrate methanol disolvate monohydrate

The title complex, [NiCl(C₁₂H₁₆N₃O₂)₂(H₂O)]NO₃·2CH₄O·H₂O, was obtained from a methano­lic solution of Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, 2‐pyridyl nitro­nyl nitro­xide (2‐NITpy) and (NEt₄)₂[CoCl₄]. The equatorial coordination sites of the octahedral Ni^II centre are occupied by two chelating radical ligands, with the axial positions occupied by the Cl^? and water ligands. The H₂O—Ni—Cl axis of the complex lies along a crystallographic twofold axis, so that only half the cation is present in the asymmetric unit. The Ni—Cl bond length [2.3614 (17) Å] is significantly shorter than distances typical of octahedral Ni^II centres [2.441 (5) Å]. However, with only one nitrate anion per formula unit, the oxidation state of the metal must be assigned as Ni^II. The 2‐NITpy ligands bend away from the equatorial plane, forming a hydro­phobic region around the Cl atoms. Conversely, the ligated water mol­ecule forms moderately strong hydrogen bonds with the disordered methanol solvent mol­ecules, which in turn form interactions with the water of crystallization and the disordered nitrate anion. These interactions combine to give hydro­philic regions throughout the crystal structure.     

The synthesis and reactivity of the heptanuclear dianion [Os7(CO)20]2− including the synthesis and structural characterizations of the compounds [Os7(CO)20(AuPEt)3 2] and [Os8(CO)20(η6-C6H6]

Reduction of the heptaosmium cluster [Os₇(CO)₂₁] With [Et₄N][NH₄) gives the cluster dianion [Os₇(CO)₂₀]^2–,1, in high yield. The reaction of the dianion with [AuPR ₃Cl] (R=Et or Ph) in the presence of TlPF₆ forms [Os₇((CO)₂₀(AuPR ₃)₂] [R=Et (2a);R = Ph(2b)] in 80% yield, while the corresponding reaction with (Os(C₆H₆)(CH₃CN)₃]²⁺ gives [Os₈(CO)₂₀ ( ⁶-C₆H₆)] (3) in reasonable yield (ca. 30%). The dianion,1, and the clusters2 and3 have been fully characterized by bout spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. The crystal structure of the [Ph₄P]⁺ salt of1 shows that the metals in the anion adopt a capped octahedral geometry, with all twenty carbonyl ligands in terminal sites. The metal core geometry in2a is best described as a tricapped octahedron, and is based on the structure of the dianion1 with two adjacent octahedral faces capped by the Au atoms of the two AuPEt₃ groups. In a similar fashion, the geometry of3 is related to that of1 with the addition of an Os(C₆H₆) unit capped to a triangular face, to give a bicapped octahedral framework.     

Plasma desorption mass spectrometry of transition metal complexes of thio- and selenosemicarbazones of 2-acetylpyridines

Summary Californium-252 plasma desorption mass spectra were recorded for complexes of the anions of various thio-and seleno-semicarbazones of 3-acetylpyridines(1–4) with the transition metal ions iron(III) and cobalt(II). Positive ion spectra gave clear evidence of the cation present and fragmentation with loss of ligands or parts of ligands was straightforward. Negative ion spectra likewise provided evidence of the intact anion except with tetracoordinate metal halide systems [MX₄]^– which lost one or more halide atoms. Evidence of fragmentation of the ligand and recombination of the fragments with the metal ion was also observed in the negative ion mode. Spectra were used to revise the structure of a complex previously reported as [FeLCl₂]⁽¹⁾ to [FeL₂]⁺[FeCl₄]^–.